Means for determining the physiological value of remedial and medical substances



v mining the-secretory "was Nov. 24, 1925."

PATENT g'rnnononn r. zucxnn, or NEWIYORK, 1:; Y.. sssrenon, nrirnsun assrenmnn'rs,

'ro umvnnsn'vrn'rnnrs; me, on NEW roux, ornnw vonx, N. Y., A con'ronn- 'I'ION or NEW YORK.

-mns ron nnrnnnmnm "run rnYsroLoeIdAL 'vAiUE'or'nnmnnm AND v 'nmnrcan sunsrmcns,

In Drawing.

of which the following is' a full,.lclear, and exact specification. I

My invention relate 1 1d deterl tiongof thestomach and refers particularl Iai process for the .measurement of thewemflt of varying 16 stomach-"activity,

Without limiting myself 'td the particular substances and materials mentioned herein,

" for purposes of clarity of explanation, I will refer particularly to the a plicationof my *2! invention to antirachitic su stances.

It is well known that rickets is due largely to an 'insuflicient amount. of available calcium salts or phosphoric com unds in the blood, thus depriving the b nes of, the

amount-of these salts and compounds neces saryfor proper bone owth. The lack-of calcium or phosphate 1n the blood is due to .the fact that these substances, while abundant in the food, are to too large an extent in an insolubleform such as insoluble calcium phosphate.

.11: is evident, therefore, that an antirachitic medicine must be one that will convert the calcium salts and phosphoriccompounds from a non-available condition to an avail:

able condition in either the stomach or intes't'ines, preferably the former, in order that theintestines may have full opportunity to absorb these salts and compounds as they 40 pass therethrough.

Considering cod liver oil ,in connection with the process of my invention, Iffind that this substance is antirachitic as well as a eneral tonic, or body builder, and I have found that both of these types of actlon can be referred to a single fundamental pharmacalogical action; namely, that of stimulating.

' also may Application and November as, 1923;. Serial No: [677,188,

the secretion of gastric juice in the stomach.

The antirachitic power, vor strength, of a drug, therefore, is dependent upon its power, or strength, as an acid excitant in the stomach and the necessity and value of a' means for the actual, or com arative, determination of the acid secretion stimulatingpower of such remedies becomes evident.

This is particularly true when 'many socalled vitamins, and slmilar bodies, are being offered freely to the public as antirachitic drugs, the actual value of which, in many cases, may be seriously questioned.

My invention, therefore, is of the greatest value not only to scientific investigators but presents a means whereby the consumer e protected from misleading advertisements and useless and dangerous drugs.

. The object of my invention is a process whereby the actual, or comparative, power of a drug with respect to its ability to stimulate the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach maybe readily and accurately ascertained.

It is evident that the tests used as a basis for the determinations must be made upon livingorganisms and, for that reason, I employ rats as havin been found to be best suited for the determination of rachitic conditions.

The present employed method for determinin whether a drug is, or is not, an antirachitic medicine, is to'feed a rat upon rickets-producing diet, this diet being prolonged for a considerable length of time. Experience has shown that the rats must be of a certain definite age, in order that the tests may have any value. The drug under examinationisthen fed to the rachitic rat and the results determined by X-ray'picwhether or not the drug is an antirachitic one; They do not produce results from which one may calculate the degree or comparative power of theantirachitic properties of the administered drug.

A method for the determination of the 'antirachitic strength of a drug through its acid stimulating power is the basis of my invention and comprises generally the measurement of the hydrogen ion concentration of the feces of rats fed with alkaline calcium rich diet, or other rickets-producing diet, before and during the administration of the substance to be tested.

Experiments have shown that on certain diets such as indicated herein, the amount of acid produced in the stomach or added with the food is truly reflected in the pH number of the feces.

The following isan example of the method of my invention:

A rat is kept on an alkaline diet rich in calcium, as, for instance, a mixture of 95% flour, 2% salt, 2.9% calcium lactate and 0.1% ferric citrate. I prefer to maintain the rat upon this diet until the feces show a hydrogen ion concentration of about pH-7A. I then administer the substance to be tested through the mouth dailyand after it has been so administered for five days, I again test the feces for its hydrogen ion concentration.

If of 1 c. c. of a good quality of Norwegian cod-liver oil is thus administered,

the feces will show a hydrogen ion concentration of. about pH-6.1.

. It will thus be seen that the cod-liver oil has converted the hydrogen ion concentration of the feces from pH-7.4 to pH-6.1, a conversion from the alkaline side to the acid side, thus demonstrating not only that the administered substance has an acid secretion stimulating power but also clearly expressing the amount of such excitant property in terms which can be employed as a medium for determining and expressing the comparative value of substances, as acid-excitants within the stomach and intestines.

The comparative acid excitant strengths of-two substances can be readily and accurately determined 'by the comparative power, or strength, of the substance, nor

capable of being applied as a means for comparative determinations between a plurality of such substances.

The previously employed methods, therefore, determine only whether a substance is, or is not, antirachitic in its results, While the method of my invention determines whether a substance is. or is not. antirachitic and if it is, my method further determines the amount of its antirachitic strength and expresses such amount in definite and understandable terms capable of comparative application and expression.

My method, therefore, presents a means for determinations of the highest scientific and practical value, in that it allows of the accurate determination of the acid excitant power, or strength, of a substance and enables such substance to be readily compared with other substances.

It is evident that by the method of my invention all suspected acid excitants may be accurately and permanently formulated as to their strength and their usefulness for this purpose "may be scientifically determinedalf do notlimit mvself to the particular chemicals, temperatures, proportions, perioils" of treatment or other conditions, or steps of treatment, mentioned, as these are simply given as a means for the clear exfplanation of my invention.

' What I claim is v 1. The process of determining the comparative acid secretion excitant strength of a substance which comprises determining the pH value of the feces of an animal, feeding a known quantity of said substance to the animal and determining the pH value of the feces after such feeding.

2. The process of determining the acid secretion excitant strength of .a substance which comprises determining and comparingthe pH values of the feces of an animal before and after a known quantity of the substance has been administered internally into said animal. 3. The process of determining the acid secretion excitant strength of a substance which comprises internally administering an alkaline substance into an animal, determining the pH value of the feces, internally administering a known quantity of the substance to be tested and determining the pH value of the feces after the administration of said substance to be tested.

4. The process of determining the acid secretion excitant strength of cod-liver oil which comprises internally administering an alkaline substance into an annual, determining the pH value of the feces, internally administering a known quantity of cod liver oil and determining the pH value of the feces.

5. The process of determining the antirachitic strength of a substance which comprises internally administering a ricketsproducing substance into ananimal, determining the pH value of the feces, internally administering a, known quantity of the antirachltle substance and deternnmng the pll value of the feces. 6. 'l he process of determmlng the anti rachitic strength of a substance which comprises internally administering an alkaline rachitie producing substance into an animal, detern'lining the pH value of the feces,

internally zuhninislerinel a lmmvn quantity of :lntirnehiiic subsia nre and determining:

the pll value of the Tel-e5- Signed at New York City in the county If New York and State of New Ym k this 23111 ilay of November. 192

111mm my: 1". ZUCKER. 

